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Israeli teens to sue British woman who accused them of rape

The Israelis will “pursue legal action against the person behind the false accusations that led to [their] being unjustly detained,” their lawyer told AFP.

By World Israel News Staff 

Israeli teens released from custody in Cyprus after they were cleared of gang rape charges plan on suing the British 19-year old woman who accused them, says their lawyer, according to the AFP news agency.

The Israeli tourists were freed from custody in Cyprus on Sunday after the British teen admitted that her report of being raped by a dozen people was untrue. A law enforcement official said the woman voluntarily recanted during questioning, saying there had been sexual contact with the suspects but that she was not raped.

She has been arrested on suspicion of filing a false complaint of gang rape for which a dozen Israeli teens were held, Cyprus police say.

Cypriot authorities had arrested 12 Israeli teenagers on July 17 following the woman’s report of being raped by a dozen individuals at a hotel in the popular tourist resort of Ayia Napa where she and the Israelis were staying.

Five of the Israelis were released Thursday after investigators found no evidence implicating them.  The other seven were freed when the woman switched her story.

Cyprus-based Israeli lawyer Yaniv Habari said his clients would “pursue legal action against the person behind the false accusations that led to [their] being unjustly detained” for a week, AFP reports.

“We will claim damages for the suffering of our clients,” he told the news agency by telephone.

The British woman reportedly is scheduled to make an appearance in a Cypriot court on Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.